Rhe. And thou art his forerunner! Pel. Prithee, hear me. Instead of a fine guarded' page we have got him And he has entertain'd him; he does follow him, His answer is, that since great ladies use Enter CUCULUS followed by GRILLA, both fantastically dressed. Look, look, he comes observe him seriously. Gril. They are here, forsooth. Cuc. How now, minx, how now! where is your duty, your distance? Let me have service methodi cally tendered; you are now one of us. Your courtesy. [GRILLA courtesies.] Good, remember that you are to practise courtship.2 Was thy father a piper, say'st thou? Gril. A sounder of some such instrument, forsooth. Cuc. Was he so?-hold up thy head. Be thou musical to me, and I will marry thee to a dancer; one that shall ride on his footcloth, and maintain thee in thy muff and hood. 1 Instead of a fine guarded page,] i. e. of a page with a livery richly laced, or turned up.-GIFFORD. 2 Courtship.] The behaviour necessary to be observed at court; the manners of a courtier.-STEEVENS. Gril. That will be fine indeed. Cuc. I have a brain; I have a headpiece: o' my conscience, if I take pains with thee, I should raise thy understanding, girl, to the height of a nurse, or a court-midwife at least. Gril. E'en do your pleasure with me, sir. Pel. [coming forward.] Noble, accomplished Cu culus ! Rhe. Give me thy fist, innocent. Cuc. Would 't were in thy belly! there 't is. Pel. That's well; he's an honest blade, though he be blunt. Cuc. Who cares! We can be as blunt as he, for his life. CORAX passes over the Stage. Pel. Corax, the prince's chief physician! What business speeds his haste?—Are all things well, sir? Cor. Yes, yes, yes. Rhe. Phew! you may wheel about, man; we know you are proud of your slovenry and practice; 'tis your virtue. The prince's melancholy fit, I presume, holds still. Cor. So do thy knavery and desperate beggary. Cuc. Aha! here's one will tickle the bandog. Rhe. You must not go yet. Cor. I'll stay in spite of thy teeth. There lies my gravity.Throws off his gown.]-Do what thou dar'st; I stand thee. Rhe. Thou art in thy religion an atheist, in thy 1 There lies my gravity (throws off his gown).] Thus Prospero, when he throws off his mantle, exclaims, "Lie there, my art." And Fuller tells us that the great Lord Burleigh, when he put off his gown at night, used to say, "Lie there Lord Treasurer."-GIFFORD, condition a cur, in thy diet an epicure, in thy sleep a hog; thou tak'st upon thee the habit of a grave phy sician, but art indeed an impostorous' empiric. Cuc. To 't, to 't! hold him to 't! hold him to 't! to 't, to 't, to 't. Cor. The best worth in thee is the corruption of thy mind: a thing bred_out of the filth and superfluity of ill humours. Thou art fortune's idiot, virtue's bankrupt, manhood's scandal, and thine own scourge. Thou wouldst hang thyself, so wretchedly miserable thou art, but that no man will trust thee with as much money as will buy a halter; and all thy stock to be sold is not worth half as much as may procure it. Rhe. Ha, ha, ha! this is flattery, gross flattery. Cor. I have employment for thee, and for ye all. Tut! these are but good-morrows between us. I'll shape ye all for a device before the prince; we'll try how that can move him. Rhe. He shall fret or laugh. Cuc. Must I make one? Cor. Yes, and your feminine page too. Pel. I will not slack my part. Cuc. Wench, take my buckler. Cor. Come all into my chamber; the project is cast; the time only we must attend. Rhe. The melody must agree well and yield sport, When such as these are, knaves and fools, consort. [Exeunt. SCENE III. An Apartment in the House of THAMASTA. Enter AMETHUS, THAMASTA, and KALA. Amet. Does this show well? Tha. What would you have me do? 1 i. e. deceitful, cheating. Amet. Not like a lady of the trim, new crept Into contempt and laughter. Sister! sister! My worthy friend, has loved you long and truly: Twelve months, wrong'd gentleman, he undertook In this time of his absence, have you not And, brother, by your leave, not kindly wise.' Amet. Thamasta! Tha. I have given Your Menaphon a welcome home, as fits me; 1 Not kindly wise,] i. e. your wisdom has not the natural tenderness of a brother in it.-GIFFORD. For his sake entertain'd Parthenophill, Amet. No more, no more! be affable to both; Tha. I pity The youth; and, trust me, brother, love his sad ness: He talks the prettiest stories; he delivers Amet. Now I commend thee; Thou 'lt change at last, I hope. Enter MENAPHON and PARTHENOPHILL. Tha. I fear I shall. Amet. Have you survey'd the garden? A pleasantly contriv'd delight. Tha. Your eye, sir, Hath in your travels often met contents Of more variety? Par. Not any, lady. [Aside. Men. It were impossible, since your fair pres ence Makes every place, where it vouchsafes to shine, Can equal. Tha. What you mean by "helps of art," You know yourself best; be they as they are; Men. "T would argue want of manners, more than skill, Not to praise praise itself. VOL. I.-6 |